Andromeda Complete Series 1-5

I write relatively few reviews but this show deserves one. Background on me: I'm a long-time science fiction fan, starting with TOS Star Trek reruns in the 80's. I am ok with a bit of action but I'm more interested in the way science fiction provides a framework for investigating humanity from the outside. I'm more into an intellectual thriller than an action blow-em-up, and I'm interested in the occasional drama if it is thought provoking. So... if you don't align with that general perspective then my review may not be of much value to you. I was very pleasantly surprised with Andromeda. The first few episodes got off to a bit of a rocky start, as is common as new actors and crews start working together. Kevin Sorbo does a great job as the lead role, and I honestly didn't think I'd feel that way. I did enjoy the Hercules series, which is how I best know Kevin, but most people would not argue that the series was a bit campy, too much for some. As Andromeda got started there was a little bit of that, even an offhand joke about how Captain Hunt was "huge, like some kind of a greek god or something" -- an obvious reference to Kevin's prior acting gig. But as the characters and stories started to flow through the end of the first season and the second season got underway that campiness gave way to a more thoughtful and interesting production, at times very star-trek-esque. One thing I always thought star trek did excellently was to carry some sort of moral, but not necessarily by providing all the answers. Just by asking some of the right questions star trek invited us to think hard about who We really are. Andromeda fell into a similar rhythm. There are several interesting character aspects that are unique to this series. Tyr Anasazi is a stoic and selfish genetically altered bounty hunter, who at the beginning of the show seems to sign on only because he thinks he might gain advantage. The actor did a great job of personifying a distinctly unique television personality, and effectively portrayed a transitioning duality as the selfishness seemed to melt away as Dylan won him over, yet early on you learned that Tyr has issues and ambitions that are all his own and are likely to linger. Then there is Trance, who is a 'whatever' complete with tail (until it is damaged). She seems innocent but strangely mysterious. As the series progresses we learn that her innocence may not be as it seems. Is it feigned? Is it honest but complicated? It's hard to tell. And when she "grows up" due to some temporal weirdness that I'll leave unexplained, the actor was able to deepen the character even further, adding a bit less innocence and a bit more uncertainty. There was an alien "magog" who was some sort of furry monkish creature that would normally be hell bent on killing everyone (or more accurately using everyone as a vessel for growing young) except that he has had some sort of vision about peace and "the way". It's not clear exactly how that all came about, and the magog in general are not portrayed as being particularly cerebral. Apparently the actor developed allergies to the costume equipment and had to have a rather unexplained exit from the show, with the character going off on some kind of personal quest. A fitting departure. The magog remain as a major antagonist in the main plot arc. Then there's Romy, or Andromeda, who is many things, including the ship itself, an artificial life form and AI as an android, and an avatar representing the ship's UI. They did a nice job of making her a complex character, in fact, her AI seems to be segmented and often does not get along with itself, particular the android portion which is both connected and separate from the core ship AI. She is not the cold "data" of star trek, as she seems to be doomed to experience all the emotions without really comprehending them. In many ways she has the same struggles but with a different slant, since the AI of the future has apparently incorporated emotional capabilities. The setting for the series is far in the future of our real earth existence, and the two human crew members are a bit of a quirky and accessibly representation of early millennial folks in their late 20's or early 30's. Seamus Harper is a rather irreverent "genius" hacker boy, who while sometimes annoying and irritatingly anachronistic does add a light and human element. He's basically a halfway decent guy at heart, and I do stress halfway, who is nonetheless weak in most ways. His story often involves pushing his egomania to the limits where he has to break down and actually be a decent human being. And Beka is an independent woman who really would rather be her own captain, although she does often admit it is not as much fun as it sounds when you actually have to shoulder the burdens of leadership. The role of Dylan Hunt, played by Kevin Sorbo is one of a lone survivor of an ancient war, trapped in a time dilation near the event horizon of a black hole for 300 years. Sorbo does a great job in his role, making Dylan seem to be a very likable and pragmatically idealistic captain, if you can forgive me describing the character using near antonyms. He's an idealist at heart that has to bow to pragmatism to survive. His pure heart basically wins over the other characters, and he truly becomes their leader. As I mentioned, going into it I was not sure I was going to like series, nor the Dylan character. The first episode of Season 1 really made me wonder, the way it started felt very dated and essentially trite to me. As if it was another Deep Space 9 (nothing against DS9, but we don't need another). But that quickly wore away, almost by the end of the first episode. The utility of that initial setting was just to give some background to the Dylan that would go on to live an entirely different existence, 300 years in the future, and in retrospect it was a decent way to start. I still hold that most new shows lack a certain cohesion as they go into launch, as the actors and the crew get comfortable with the "new worlds" they are creating, and this show was no exception. The series was a bit more modern and gritty as compared with 90's trek - not in a bad way. And they did a fairly nice job of buttoning things up when the show came to an end. I have a MAJOR pet peeve over series that are cancelled and absolutely not resolved. I have gone so far as to refuse watching new series for fear that they will be cancelled. After they are DONE and I know they were not then I pick them up on disc or streaming. If that's how they want to treat me, then that is how I'll treat them. Not a good situation but they started it. This series is very underrated, unknown, and unappreciated material in my opinion, and is really an excellent part of the Barrett/Roddenberry legacy. As for the DVD set, it is fine. No special features, no subtitles, just the episodes. The encoding is good and the sound is fine. I listen with wireless headphones most of the time so I can hear every detail. It may not be quite as good "over the air" of a normal TV speaker system, but it definitely is clean and clear audio. Subtitles are missed but it isn't a big deal. The lack of any extras at all was a minor bummer. I would have liked to dig in more about Majel's role in the production and to hear more from the cast about the experience, but the set is still great without those things.

excellent show if you like scifi. worth buying whole series.

I basically loved the first four seasons and hated the last (Season 5). The series feels like it was meant to end after the fourth, with a two-part season ender in which (SPOILER) the entire crew dies. Then the last season felt like it was added on when he show was unexpectedly renewed (I don't have any idea if this was what happened, but it sure feels like that). Actually I could not bring myself to watch the Fifth Season to the end! Admittedly the fourth season was not as good as the first three, mainly because Tyr was gone, with all the edginess that he brought to the series, and was replaced by another nietzschean who was an EXTREMELY tame replacement and did not contribute much, if anything, to the story (he was a "yes man" for Dylan, but yes men don't hold any interest or advance the plot). Apparently they felt Rhade was too good to die. In Andromeda Roddenberry and Majel Barrett give us another, updated take on the universe (or tri-universe) than was possible in Star Trek, with the believeable characters Roddenberry was so good at. All of the episodes start with a quote and those (and only those) did not so much play on my computer but jerk. However, if you can wait until each "quote" is done, the rest the of the DVD plays fine. Don't miss this!

This is an excellent series! I could not watch it when it originally aired because it wasn't available. Have been a big Kevin Sorbo fan since Hercules first aired. Have watched all of the Andromeda episodes and enjoyed them very much. Love Kevin as Dylan Hunt. The fact that it was a Gene Roddenberry series was the second deciding factor in my purchase. The first was that Kevin Sorbo starred as the lead character. I have always been satisfied with purchases made through Amazon. Rose Marie L. Ebeling (aka Romi Ebeling)

This classic series is truly "something different". I fell a little in love with the personalities and interactions between Dylan Hunt, Andromeda (his ship and partner) and their crew made up of would be salvagers and other spacefarers encountered on the journey. The first two seasons were the best but all of the seasons give us a unique type of science fiction. Kevin Sorbo makes a convincing castaway from an earlier time. This is totally different from his role in Hercules but Dylan is equally likeable.

The only sci-fi series that I have Loved more than this was the various Star Trek incarnations. I cried when we watched the last show but I am so glad that we purchased the whole set even though it is pretty expensive as far as series go, ye Gods, it is absolutely worth it, and now we can watch it again anytime we like. I would recommend that you watch the episodes that are available on Amazon prime if you have that, or try to catch some episodes and I think you will know by your reaction to those if you are undecided. But, in all honesty, if you are a Star Trek fan it is my opinion you will LOVE these just as much as I do. Just like in Star Trek, you don't just watch these, you become a part of the crew.

It was a true pleasure to watch this series, episode by episode in a short span. Don't guess I ever saw the end before, it wrapped up nicely. Good acting, good sets, good storyline. Seeing it this way made a lot more since than when I saw it on-air and missed episodes. Great Roddenberry!